Characteristics of plankton Hg bioaccumulations based on a global data set and the implications for aquatic systems with aggravating nutrient imbalance

The bioaccumulation of mercury (Hg) in aquatic ecosystem poses a potential health risk to human being and aquatic organism. Bioaccumulations by plankton represent a crucial process of Hg transfer from water to aquatic food chain. However, the current understanding of major factors affecting Hg accumulation by plankton is inadequate. In this study, a data set of 89 aquatic ecosystems worldwide, including inland water, nearshore water and open sea, was established. Key factors influencing plankton Hg bioaccumulation (i.e., plankton species, cell sizes and biomasses) were discussed. The results indicated that total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in plankton in inland waters were significantly higher than those in nearshore waters and open seas. Bioaccumulation factors for the logarithm of THg and MeHg of phytoplankton were 2.4-6.0 and 2.6-6.7 L/kg, respectively, in all aquatic ecosystems. They could be further biomagnified by a factor of 2.1-15.1 and 5.3-28.2 from phytoplankton to zooplankton. Higher MeHg concentrations were observed with the increases of cell size for both phyto- and zooplankton. A contrasting trend was observed between the plankton biomasses and BAF(MeHg), with a positive relationship for zooplankton and a negative relationship for phytoplankton. Plankton physiologic traits impose constraints on the rates of nutrients and contaminants obtaining process from water. Nowadays, many aquatic ecosystems are facing rapid shifts in nutrient compositions. We suggested that these potential influences on the growth and composition of plankton should be incorporated in future aquatic Hg modeling and ecological risk assessments. (C) Higher Education Press 2021

Automated summary

This study investigated factors influencing mercury bioaccumulation by plankton in aquatic ecosystems worldwide, finding higher THg and MeHg concentrations in inland waters compared to nearshore waters and open seas. The study also revealed that MeHg concentrations increased with cell size, and a contrasting relationship between plankton biomasses and BAF(MeHg) was observed. The authors recommended incorporating potential influences of nutrient compositions on plankton growth and composition in future aquatic Hg modeling and ecological risk assessments.